Ravi Shastri's Humorous Take on Cheteshwar Pujara's Batting Style
A Light-Hearted Commentary Moment
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 30: Former Indian captain and head coach Ravi Shastri shared a humorous observation about Cheteshwar Pujara, one of India's top Test batsmen, suggesting that Pujara would have been reluctant to practice the reverse-sweep during his playing days.
This playful banter took place during a commentary session while Shastri was watching Heinrich Klaasen execute a switch-hit for a massive six against Allah Ghazanfar during the IPL 2026 match between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
While appearing on JioHotstar's 'Champions Waali Commentary', Shastri jested that if he had asked Pujara to practice the reverse sweep during his coaching period, Pujara would have chased him down with a bat.
Shastri, who coached the Indian team from 2017 to 2021, remarked, “Pujara, if I had suggested you practice the reverse sweep three years ago, you would have come after me with a bat, right?”
Pujara responded by explaining that such a shot would not align with his Test batting approach, indicating that he would likely have been dismissed if he attempted it. “Ravi bhai, if I had played that shot in a Test match, I would have been bowled out. Executing that shot was quite challenging for me,” Pujara stated.
With an impressive tally of 7,195 Test runs from 103 matches, Pujara is regarded as one of India's finest Test batsmen, known for his solid defensive technique and classic shot selection. He announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in August 2025.
In the IPL 2026 match, the Sunrisers triumphed over the five-time champions MI by six wickets, successfully chasing down a daunting target of 243 runs.
Thanks to stellar performances from Travis Head (76 runs off 30 balls), Heinrich Klaasen (65* runs off 30 balls), Abhishek Sharma (45 runs off 24 balls), and Salil Arora (30* runs off 10 balls), SRH achieved the target with eight balls to spare.
Head and Abhishek set a solid foundation with a 129-run partnership for the first wicket in just 52 balls. Earlier, the Mumbai Indians, led by Ryan Rickelton's explosive unbeaten 123 runs off 55 balls, posted a total of 243/5 in their 20 overs after opting to bat first.